Identification of Desertification Prone Areas - Advantages and Limitations

Method has been tested and validated in the Mediterranean area Relatively easy to apply and it is replicable Combines subjective and objective criteria Can add more indices to the system that are of relevance for a specific country Can be easily updated if newer data is provided Cost of updating is low Provides a good overview of priority areas or "hot-spots" Integrates different information layers into a single index Type of data needed is usually available at the national level Provides insight into mitigations actions required Reduces areas where detailed assessments need to be undertaken Can use discreet (i.e. land use map, soil map etc.) and continuous data (i.e rainfall map, topography, etc.)

Listing of possible solutions at an early planning stage easily hampers objective and open-minded problem analysis Requires consistent spatial data, in other words data has to be on the same level of spatial detail Requires know-how in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) The individual indices are not weighted to the local problem conditions, the indices have an equal weighting The method is a simplification of a complicated process Does not include all possible causes of desertification